Hoochie-coochie man, nationalist revolutionary, smoky-eyed thug - he has juggled all three roles, and as a result, his two previous albums, 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., were plagued by convoluted thematics that proved distracting if you wanted to think about the ideas beyond the beats. Imagine his debonair face screaming “Thug Life,” gat in hand, spliff in pocket, lashing out at a society that he blames for his rage and the impoverished condition of his people, often without looking at his own contribution to that misery. The same man who is capable of poignant paeans to black women like “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “Keep Ya Head Up” is the next minute fuckin’ and chuckin’ “hos” in “I Get Around” of lickin’ off shots at everyone from the cops to that jealous brutha down the block. His personality seems split right down the middle - one half collected and reflective, the other coiled and venomous, waiting (like the “shining serpent” contained within the meaning of his African name) to strike out at anything in his path. Among movie roles, music-video cameos and court appearances, Tupac Shakur remains a frustrating yet fascinating character because it’s obvious that the 23-year-old rapper has decided to make his journey for self-discovery open to the world.
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